Roll up

[misspentoldage]

Any good tips for a tight roll up after a shot to nothing takes you back behind the baulk colours? Easy to hit slightly too hard or, worse, not reach the ball by playing too soft. Also, how about if you are not directly behind the ball you're rolling up to - how to avoid unintentional glancing off the object ball?

[SouthPaw]

Roll up

It's really just a case of practice practice practice... I find it better to drag the cueball so the shot can be made with a little more pace, that also usually eliminates any roll offs that occur due to finger marks or the slates edge...

[DeanH]

I remember Steve Hendry saying in commentary once that he always played the rollup with a touch of top to ensure he never stopped short
Since then I have done this as well, ensuring the angle of contact is correct to gain the snooker as well as taking the speed of the cue ball off as well.

[misspentoldage]

Mmm, two contrasting views there. Any more?

[DeanH]

It's really just a case of practice practice practice... I find it better to drag the cueball so the shot can be made with a little more pace, that also usually eliminates any roll offs that occur due to finger marks or the slates edge...

tell Jimmy White that

[cantpotforshíte]

On roll-ups, try looking at the cue ball as you strike it, and push rather than jab.

[Mr Badger]

I think snooker players generally are not very accurate with roll up snookers. There's no real need to be. 8 ball pool players try to get in really tight and aim for a touching ball on many occassions.
For a really tight roll up from within a few inches, here's my advice. Hold your cue nearer to the balance point, stand up over the cue and focus the cue ball. In particular where the tip is going to make contact. Get your bridge hand in a little bit closer towards the tip. Hit the cue ball above centre(don't drag it) and spend time practising. Try to get the cue ball to be touching the object ball from 4" away. If it bounces away an inch, try again from there. If you're 1/4" away, try again. Chase it until you get a touching ball. Just good practise between frames for a few moments. If you cue it the conventional way with your chin on the cue, it's almost impossible to judge the strength of hit.
As for a glancing shot on the object ball, judge the angle that the object ball is going to move. Try and get the cue ball and object ball moving along the same line/pace to create a snooker, even if you over-hit the shot. Less of a problem if you get the weight right, as above. It's easy in my head. More difficult to explain.

[davipp]

Mr Badger has it right as far as I'm concerned. Short cue grip, stand up over the cue-ball and strike the CB just above centre.
The standing up over the CB tends to allow a lot less power being executed into the shot. Watch some old billiard players when they are play close cannons.

[misspentoldage]

Some great tips in the last two posts. Thanks.

[Sidd]

You can play drag but then you would be playing against the nap so better be careful. There is no substitute to practice however one tip here would be never to make a longer or even medium range final back swing for this kind of shot. Just a tiny bit of back swing and well pronounced back pause would give your mind time to decide and then with an ever loose grip just hit the CB without intending to follow through real much and see the results ... you will be surprised

Cheers.

[misspentoldage]

I wish I'd had these great tips and the chance to practise them before a match I had last week. I had a great chance of a roll-up which would have left my opponent in real trouble with the reds spread, but I was afraid of messing it up and leaving him with an opportunity for a break. I opted for a very difficult green in the middle instead, without a red to follow. I missed the difficult chance. It's true that my opponent was not left with a follow up as a result, but even if I had potted the green it would have got me all of another three points and end of break. I was so annoyed with myself for chickening out of the roll up opportunity that I let it affect me and subsequently lost the frame. So that was two no-nos in one - not taking the opportunity presented, and allowing my bad decision to fester instead of forgetting it and getting on with the game. I'm going to practise these roll-up tips this afternoon.